Sennheiser Digital delivers at CMA Awards
- Details
Early in the evening, Female Vocalist of the Year nominee Kelsea Ballerini took the stage to deliver a stripped-down version of Homecoming Queen, the leading single off her latest album. Every detail of her intimate vocal performance was captured through a Sennheiser SKM 6000 handheld transmitter, coupled with an MD 9235 capsule.
Ballerini’s microphone, adorned with dozens of black Swarovski crystals, faithfully rendered the raw emotion of her performance. “She loves that microphone, and we love it too,” comments FOH engineer Chris Diener.
Lady Antebellum, who received a nomination for Vocal Group of the Year, performed with Sennheiser MMD 9235 capsules
“When the Digital 6000 came out, it was a gamechanger for us,” commented Pete Bowman, Monitor engineer for Lady Antebellum. “The system has always been solid for us RF-wise, and we never have to worry about drop-outs. Also we love the Dante output command channel. We are pretty reliant on that feature for our full shows.”
One of the most memorable performances of the evening came from country superstar Blake Shelton, who performed his latest chart-topping single, God’s Country, which also won Single of the Year. Shelton’s vocals carried the emotional weight of the song, which were captured using a Sennheiser SMK 6000 handheld transmitter, coupled with an MMD 935 capsule.
Luke Combs picked up Male Vocalist of the Year, and also performed his hit Beer Never Broke My Heart, singing through a Sennheiser SKM 6000 transmitter coupled with a Neumann KK 205 capsule and an EM 6000 receiver. Meanwhile, continuing with the female-themed show, P!nk and Brandi Carlile made special appearances, each using the SKM 6000 transmitter and EM 6000 receiver. P!nk sang through a Sennheiser MD 9235 capsule, while Carlile sang through a Neumann KK205 capsule.
(Jim Evans)
